Cleaning device for oil wells



l w. E. KRAUSE. CLEANING DLvLcE FoR oLL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILEDy FEB. 24, |920. y

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

s L l L L i I Im..

WIELLEAM E. RRAUSE, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, SSIS-NOB T0 JULIUS F. 'i

OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

i DEVICE FOB OIL WELLS.

speciacation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

Application led February 24, 19.20. Serial No. 360,875.

citizen of the United States, and resident of.

Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Devices for Oil Wells; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention pertains tonew and useful improvements in cleanin devices for wells and is primarily adapted for washing out the casing screens of screened oil wells.

In that type of oil well of a loose s and formation which requires a casing, the latter is usually provided with a screen to separate out the sand and other foreign material from the oil and allowonly such strained oil to enter the casing to be forced to the top of the well. rlhe screens are disposed about the exterior of the casing and after more or less use the interstices become clogged with sand parafline and asphaltum contained in the oil and form a seal or coating which prevents the entrance of oil into the casing. The principal object of this invention is, however, to provide a simply constructed and efficient method for washing out oil or other well screens when ever they are sealed up or unfit for use.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed means for securing the washer at predetermined positions within a well casing so that the maximum force of vthe cleansing liquid which is used may be exerted against the parts to be cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for quickly and easily securing the washer retaining members upon the washer proper.

With these general objects in view the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 represents a sectional View of a portion of a screened oil well showing the manner of positioning my improved washer therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through' a portion of the screened casing used in an oil well together with one of the retaining members of the cleansing device.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of l `i ure 2.

igure 4 is an enlarged detail section of a modified form of washing element.v

Referring more specifically to the drawing, it will be noted that a portion of an oil well is designated by the reference character 1 and has located therein a usual perforated well casing 2 around which is disposed a screen 3,

this screen being .adapted to separate theparticles of sand or the like from the liquid and permit the latter to flow into the interior of the casing to be forced or drawn to the top of the well. As the screen 3 is located upon the exterior of the casing 2, it is obvious that the separated solidmaterial will collect upon the outside of the screen 3 and between the interstices thereof so that in order to remove the same it is necessary to provide a cleaning device which may be inserted within the casing to exert a force outwardly. In the present instance l have provided an arrangement whereby the force of water or other fluid under pressure may be used for removin the foreign material from the screen 3.

ore particularly this cleaning device consists of a tube or pipe 4 of appropriate length having a plurality of fluid discharge ports 5 and which is capable of being attached to pipe sections 6 which can be let down into the well from the top by any suitable mechanism. Water or other fluid under high pressure being forced into the pipe sections 6 will be expelled from the dischargel end through the discharge ports 5.

vThe cleaning device is adapted to be secured in the casing 2 to clean any predetermined part thereof by means of a pair of vspaced expansile and flexible sleeves 7 one of which surrounds the free end portion of the discharge member 4, while the other is located at the opposite end of the series of discharge ports 5. Each of these sleeves is formed of water or fluid tight fabric or other suitable material and has its opposite ends contracted or reduced in diameter as at 8 whereby to aid in attaching the same to the tubular member 4. Heretofore when such type of expansile sleeve has been used it has been difficult to secure the ends of the same to the tubular cleaning member and more diiiicult to remove the same when it became unfit for further use.

The means which I employ for securing the ends of the sleeves 7 is shown particularly in Figure 2, a retaining collar 9 being attached to the member 4 adjacent each end of the sleeve 7 by set screws 10. These collars each have a rounded annular shoulder 11, the base of which is serrated as at 12, the end opposite the shoulder being screw threaded as at 13 to be engaged by the threads of a nut or gland 14. When one end of one of the sleeves 7 is to be secured to the member 4, the retaining collar therefor is located in proper position and secured by the set screws 1'0. The reduced end of the sleeve is disposed thereover, after which the gland 14is threaded onto the collar and the inner end portion thereof engages around the annular shoulder 11 and the base thereof so as to force the end of the sleeve 4into water ti ht engagement with said collar.

n the operation of my invention the coniplete cleaning -device including the tubular perforated discharge member 4 and the spaced sleeves 7 with their retaining members, is let down into' a well until the portion thereof between said sleeves 7 is opposite the portion of the screen to .be cleaned. Water or-other fluid under pressure is then supplied to the cleanin device, and this water or fluid entering t ey sleeves 7 through the openings 15 in the tubular member 4 -which openings are larger than the discharge ports 5, distends the same into engagement with the wall of the casing 2L The contact between the sleeves 7 and the casing wall is suflicient to form a fluid tight seal so that the water or fluid discharged from the openings 5 will be expelled against the casin 2 and the screen?) at its maximum force. II will also be noted that the set screws 10 may be caused to engage the discharge member 4 at any point desired so that a greater or less number of holes 5 will be covered by the sleeves 7. Thus the number of holes through which the cleaning fluid is discharged against the casing may be regulated according to the pressure which is available for such discharge.

After the portion of the `casing and screen between the sleeves 7 has been thoroughly cleaned, the water or fluid .pressure is discontinued so as to allow the cleaning device to be moved to a new position'of the casing. When the vnew location is reached water or other fluid under' preure is supplied tothe device, the sleeves 7 again becoming distended and the cleaning operations repeated. With a device of this character, any desired section of a well casing and screen may be cleaned, and in each instance the full force of the water or fluid is directed against the well casing and screen. Under certain conditions a portion of the cleaning water or other fluid may be permitted to be discharged below the lowermost sleeve 7 through a cap 16 but at other times an imperforate cap is used so that all water or other fluid may flow from the tubular memsired, a portion, or all, of the openings 5 may be provided with discharge nipples 17 as shown in Figure 4; by. tapering the bore of these nipples the force 'of the Awater or may be increased. Various other changes maybe made in the different parts of the device Vwithout departing from the principles or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a tubular member having a series off fluid discharge openings, a pair of flexible sleeves surrounding the member, said sleeves being spacedI apart and disposed over certain of said discharge openings, other openings of said series being located between said sleeves, each of said sleeves being adjustable longitudinally to cover a greater or less number of openings, and means forl forming a fluid tight connection with each end of the sleeves and the tubular member.

2. In a device of the class described, a tubular member havingV a series of fluiddischarge openings, a pair of flexible sleeves surrounding the member, said sleeves being spaced apart and disposed over certain of said discharge openings, other openings of said series bemg located between said sleeves, each of said sleeves being reduced at its ends, a retaining collar adjustably secured to the tubular member adjacent each reduced end, and a clamping member connected with each retaining collar to bind the adjacent reduced end of the sleeve thereagainst to form fluid tight joints, whereby said sleeves may be 105 adjusted to cover a greater or less number of openings.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wiscousin. v

WILLIAM E. KRAUSE.

ber 4 between the sleeves 7. Also, if de- `other fluid against the casing wall and screen v 

